


As Good as it Gets

by kho



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Episode Related, First Kiss, Fix-It, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-20 21:33:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9517082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kho/pseuds/kho
Summary: “God damnit, Mike,” He says, settling back in his seat and shaking his head in wonderment.  “What do I gotta do to get you to come back to me?”  (Season 6, back half)





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm stuck on the last part of my multi part Lily & Harvey character study fic and while I was trying to figure out what parts I want in that last bit I got the idea for this part.... but it didn't fit into that story, it was it's own.

It takes twenty minutes of arguing with Mike to come up with the most brilliant solution of maybe his career when Harvey’s been stuck banging his head against a brick wall for the past week.  “God damnit, Mike,” He says, settling back in his seat and shaking his head in wonderment.  “What do I gotta do to get you to come back to me?”

 

Mike laughs and folds a piece of pizza in half.  “Are you propositioning me?”

 

Harvey leans forward and reaches over to stop Mike’s arm from shovelling another bite into his mouth.  “Seriously, Mike…  I need you.”

 

Mike frowns, setting his slice of pizza down.  “Harvey.  I can’t be a lawyer.”

 

“Consultant,” Harvey says.  “Assistant.  Partner.”

 

Mike looks at him and smiles softly.  “You’re actually admitting you miss me.”

 

“No,” Harvey says, shaking his head, fingers tightening on Mike’s wrist.  “Not just miss.  Need.  I  _ need _ you, Mike.”

 

Mike swallows and looks away.  “Need.”

 

Harvey nods, and Mike’s never seen him more serious.  “I’ve been alone for so long, Mike.  For all these years it’s just been me, and Donna on the side, but  _ me _ , and…  And that’s how I wanted it.  That’s how I  _ preferred  _ it.”  He pauses, his hand slipping off of Mike’s wrist as he clenches his hands into balls in his lap.  “And then you came along and you… you just, you cared, you cared about everything and everyone and you cared about  _ me _ , and, I forgot how to be alone somewhere along the way.”

 

Mike reaches over and wraps his fingers around Harvey’s knee, waiting until Harvey’s eyes flick up to meet his.  “I still care about you.  I’ll never stop.  Working for you, working with you, or just drinks on Tuesdays… I still care.”

 

“No,” Harvey says, waving a hand through the air.  “No, I know that, that’s not what I’m saying, Mike.”

 

Mike reaches over to grab a napkin, wiping the grease away from his mouth.  “Then what are you--”

 

“Somewhere along the way I forgot how to be amazing without you by my side,” Harvey says in a rush, looking away again.  “All these years it’s just been me and you’ve ruined me, kid.”  He laughs and looks back then, shaking his head.  “Don’t ask me how or why but I don’t know how to operate by myself anymore, or really just don’t fucking want to anymore, Mike.”  Meeting his eyes finally, the look in them makes Mike have to take a shuddery breath in.    “So yeah.  I miss you.  I miss the crap outta you.  But more than that, I need you.”

 

“I almost cost you the  _ entire firm _ ,” Mike says, barely audible as the shame rips through him.  “And then again, while you were getting me out. Throwing the case with Sutter.  The damage that did to the slow progress you were making to come back from the damage I caused--”

 

“We, Mike,  _ we _ caused,” Harvey interrupts.

 

Mike holds up a hand.  “Fine, Harvey, we.  I don’t wanna be the reason your career is over.”

 

“But Mike.”

 

“I can not be the reason that your life falls apart, Harvey,” Mike says, voice a hard line.  “Don’t ask me to be.”

 

“I don’t give a shit about that,” Harvey yells, hands balling up even tighter.  “I never gave a shit about the goddamn money, Mike, and I don’t give a shit about what people think because I know the truth,  _ I know the truth _ , and the truth is I’d rather hang a goddamn shingle in Nothing and Nowheresville Ohio with you as my partner than be Harvey Specter, Soulless Highpowered Lawyer any day.”

 

Mike feels tears prick at the corners of his eyes and he blinks rapidly to keep them at bay.  “Harvey.”

 

“I don’t want to go back to what my life was Mike, it was fucking  _ empty _ ,” Harvey says, surging forward, leaning into Mike's space.  “It was completely meaningless, it was bullshit, and I don’t know how to be me without Donna because she reminds me of who I am, she keeps me in line, she keeps me honest, but you, Mike... “  He pauses and swallows,obviously screwing up the nerve tosay what it is be wants to say.  “God, Mike, you make me wanna be a better man.  You  _ make _ me a better man.”

 

Mike’s eyes close and he lets out a startled laugh.  “Did you really just say that?”

 

“Say what?”

 

“I make you wanna be a better man,” Mike asks, mouth quirking up slightly even as he feels himself start to shake all over from head to toe with hard to suppress emotion.  “Did you seriously just Melvin Udall me?”

 

Harvey’s face falls into confusion.  “Did I what?”

 

“As Good As It Gets,” Mike says.  “Tell me you’ve seen As Good As it Gets.”

 

Harvey shrugs.  “No, I never got around to that one.”

 

Mike closes his eyes, reeling and shaken and feeling altogether untethered.  “I make you wanna be a better man?”

 

Harvey’s frown deepens.  “Yeah, Mike, you do--”

 

Mike interrupts him by kissing him, dragging him forward by his hands and reaching up to grasp his face, pressing his lips to Harvey’s hard enough to mash their teeth together.  “That’s maybe the best compliment of my life.”

 

Harvey’s eyes remained closed when Mike pulls back.  “Mike.”

 

“You can’t say things like that to me and not expect me to,” Mike says, feeling close to hyperventilation.  “You can’t just say things like that.”

 

Harvey’s eyes open slowly.  “I didn’t expect...”

 

“Didn’t you?”

 

“I just want you back,” Harvey whispers, sounding thrown, confused.   “Everything’s fucked up right now and I need one good thing to…. I need you--”

 

“I don't even know who I am right now, Harvey,” Mike says, and he's been thinking it for a while now, for weeks, but he hasn't said it out loud to anyone yet.  “I don't know what I'm doing.  I don't even know if I am this person you think you need anymore.”

 

“You are.”

 

Mike drops his hands from Harvey's face, shaking his head.   “I don't think I am.”

 

“Yes, Mike, you are,” Harvey says, and his eyes linger on Mike's mouth now, and Mike feels it all the way to his toes.  “I know you are.”

 

“How,” Mike breathes.  “How do you know?”

 

“I know  _ you _ ,” Harvey whispers back, leaning closer, eyes meeting Mike's.   

 

“Nobody will hire me,” he says.

 

“I've been trying to for weeks,” Harvey answers.  

 

“I'm tired of taking advantage of your friendship,” Mike says, biting his lip.   “Isn't it time I stand in my own two feet?”

 

“Mike this isn't charity,” Harvey says, voice raising in ire.  “I say what I mean and I mean what I say.  You hold me to a higher standard.  I can't do this without you.  I don't  _ want _ to do this without you.    Your mind is what drew me to you but you…  _ you _ are what kept me.”

 

“Kept you how,” Mike asks, leaning into Harvey's space, their faces close together.  “Why?”

 

Harvey's eyes flick once again to Mike's lips and Mike feels like he could take flight, like he's standing at the edge of the cliff and so close, centimeters away from stepping off the edge. 

 

“Mike.”

 

“I need to know Harvey.  If I'm gonna… if I'm gonna do this if I'm really gonna-- I need to know why.  I need to know how.”   He looks up at Harvey, begs him to just get it.  “Need me how?  How do you need me?”

 

“I need someone I can trust.  I need.    I need your mind.  I need your friendship. I need your conscience.  I need your…”. Harvey stops then and reaches up, grabs Mike's chin.  “I need  _ you _ Mike. I want you.  I want you in whatever way you'll let me have you.  Friend.  Coworker.  Partner.”  He swallows.  “More.”

 

Mike nods and Harvey’s thumb slips down over his jaw.  It sends a pang straight to his heart.  “More?”

 

“Mike.”

 

“More what, Harvey, more how, what do you want,” Mike begs, hands clenching into fists impatiently.  “I need you to say it, if I’m gonna go back home and have this conversation with Rachel, I need you to fucking god damned say it, Harvey.”

 

Harvey stands suddenly, reaching up to comb his hands through his hair.  “Jesus, Mike, Christ, how did we get  _ here _ ?  I just wanted you to come back.  I didn’t expect to have this conversation with you tonight.”  He laughs a little, facing away from Mike.  “I didn’t expect to ever have it.”

 

“You make me wanna be a better man is maybe one of the most romantic lines I’ve heard in a movie since When Harry Met Sally,” Mike says, blinking up at Harvey.

 

Harvey smiles softly.  “Harry, you’re going to have to try and find a way of not expressing every feeling that you have, every moment that you have them.”

 

Mike rolls his eyes and sits back on the couch.  “You see?  That is just like you, Harry.  You say things like that, and you make it impossible for me to hate you.”

 

Harvey points to him.  “Wait, we can’t both be Harry.”

 

“Well I’m not Sally,” Mike says, holding up his hands.  “Besides, you’re the one who always gets the dressing on the side.”

 

Harvey sits back down and laces his fingers together, his head against his fingertips, elbows propped on his knees.  “What do you want, Mike?  Do you want me to be your best man?  Stand next to you while you marry Rachel, wish you nothing but happiness?  Because I can do that Mike.  I can do it and I can mean it.”

 

“I want you to tell me what you want, and I want you to be honest,” Mike says, staring at the side of Harvey’s face.  “But regardless of what you say, you won’t be being my best man, because at this point I’m pretty sure there’s not gonna be a wedding at all.”

 

Harvey looks at him then and then slowly reaches forward, fingers curved as he strokes down Mike’s cheek.  “Good.  Because I’d mean it, but it would hurt like hell Mike, because I’m in love with you.”

 

Mike leans in again, captures Harvey’s lips with his own, a soft, slow kiss.  Harvey returns it this time, a thousand promises beneath it.  They don’t pull away for a long time, and even when they do they don’t break contact.  Foreheads pressed together, noses mashed against each other.

 

“I should go,” Mike says, sliding his hand down Harvey’s chest, smoothing his shirt down even though what he wants to do is unbutton it and remove it completely.  “I can’t start this without…”

 

“Yeah,” Harvey says, nodding.  Instead of letting Mike go he leans in for another kiss, holding his gaze when he pulls back reluctantly.  “Come back after.”

 

“It’ll be late,” Mike says, but knows he would anyway, even if Harvey hadn’t asked.  

 

“Don’t care.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr here under [@lovethesnark](http://lovethesnark.tumblr.com). 
> 
> Fanfiction Website  
> MOST of my fic is not on AO3, though all of my H5O and beyond is as AO3 didn't exist yet and it was too much to archive. It can be found on my website at [LoveTheSnark.com](http://www.lovethesnark.com).


End file.
